


I wish you knew (how I see you)

by mottainai



Series: good intentions [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anxiety, Banter, Brooklyn Nine-Nine vibes, But could be read alone, Detective Lance - Freeform, Established Relationship, Finding a good gift: a mission, Good Samaritan Keith, Hostage Tapes, Hurt/Comfort, Keith is in love but doesn't want to say it yet, Keith's side is here folks, Kidnapping, Lotor is a highkey bad dude, M/M, Sequel, The Power Of Love, Will be posted weekly!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:17:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21215945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mottainai/pseuds/mottainai
Summary: Keith is determined to be the best boyfriend Lance could hope for. He will face the usual challenges: meeting the friends, finding a perfect birthday present, and a certain heir to a criminal empire out for revenge.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Man, would you believe the clown that seriously thought she was going to write just a few extra scenes from Keith's pov.  
Here, have a whole ass sequel.  
Shoutout to BabyBisexuwhale, Carbish and the_bloss for inspiring the Keith-Shiro argument this chapter!

Lance crashes into his life and it’s never the same again.

* * *

Finding out that Lance is indeed not an underage prostitute takes first place simultaneously as the most frustrating and most relieving moment of Keith’s life. 

Because Keith had thought Lance was dead. He had shouldered the blame of not doing enough to save an underaged boy on the streets. His biggest failure had been not being able to help him. His biggest shame was the way his heart would skip a beat when he saw Lance and the way he had craved those moments of closeness between them. He had barely slept most nights, his brain stuck in a loop, pouring over their conversations, wondering what he could have changed to save a life. 

When he had ventured into Daibazaal looking for Lance and finding angry Galra members instead, there was a part of him that hadn’t wanted to fight back. He had thought he had deserved it, the universe collecting its dues for his failure in stopping Lance from being killed.

All he had left of the boy with tan skin and a gleaming smile was an unresolved missing persons report.

But then Lance wasn’t dead, and he wasn’t underage either. All of Keith’s anguish and problems were solved so simply that at first Keith had trouble believing it was real. 

Then he had realised that Lance could have spared him that anguish if he had only told him sooner. Had he thought about Keith’s side? Didn’t he know him well enough that he could keep a secret? His head was lost and anger was forming the words for him. They had argued, harsh and cutting straight to the bone. 

It was the look in Lance’s eyes that stopped him, closed off like he was already planning his exit. Keith had realised that something was slipping through his fingers. It was like seeing him walk through the doors of Daibazaal again. Except this time, Keith had the opportunity to hold onto him.

So he forgave Lance, and now they were… something. 

Even long after Lance had left, his brain wouldn’t let him move on to his work. He was a mess for the rest of the day: it was like every time he blinked there was an afterimage of Lance waiting on the inside of his eyelids. He caught himself blushing at the memory of Lance’s soft lips pressed against his own.

He was so distracted that he forgot to duck in his self-defence class and Romelle kicked him hard enough in the head that he saw stars. He spent the last half hour of the class teaching from a bench, a cold electrolyte drink pressed to his temple as he tried to convince a mortified Romelle that he was alright. 

He wasn’t so dazed that he didn’t notice Shiro pointedly ignoring him. He wanted to tell him about Lance, but he couldn’t without resolving whatever was going on between them first. He tracked him down in the five-minute window they had between classes in the weights room.

“What’s going on, Shiro? Something’s obviously bothering you.” He asked. His head was still a mess and he couldn’t figure out what would be putting Shiro in such a foul mood.

Shiro’s lips were a hard line. “Yeah Keith, something _ is _ bothering me,” He dropped a medicine ball back into place with force. “You.”

Keith blinked. “Me? I don’t understand-”

“I’m not even that angry.” Shiro scoffed. “Just disappointed.” 

“You’re seriously not pulling that line.” Keith protested. “What did I do, Shiro?”

Shiro shook his head. “We’re not getting into this here. Not at work.” He sighed, straightening out the dumbells on their brackets. “We’re having a talk tonight.”

He walked off before Keith could get in another word. The entire conversation had been so out of field and he couldn’t figure it out. His head hurt even more. 

He managed to get himself through the rest of the classes with only minor issues -box jumps were only a _ little bit _out of the scope for the New Mothers class, think of it like an extension, Shay- and before long Shiro was leaving for the day in a stink. He could see some of the other trainers eyeing the two of them and talking in hushed voices.

Sighing, he passed by the office for his phone and settled onto a bench for the last few hours that the gym was open. It was their system: Shiro, ever the morning person would come in early to open, and Keith would close later at night. Usually, he would spend the time working out alongside the customers, but tonight he had a feeling it would be better for the safety of everyone if he stayed away from the machinery. 

He opened his phone, finding no less than seven new messages from Lance, who had saved his contact in Keith’s phone_ . _Keith snorted at the name he chose as he read through the messages, feeling immediately better.

_ (17:32) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ heeeeey its lance _

_ (17:32) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ jst ran bythe station look at the welcome back cake hunk _

_ made for me!! _

The next message was a selfie, the bottom left corner taken up by Lance’s wide grin, a group of officers that Keith half recognised standing around a tall chocolate cake in the background.

_ (17:33) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ I told the guys that we sorted evrythnig out and hunk _

_ was so happy i stg i saw tears in his eyes _

_ (17:34) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ and pidge wants you to come around to the statuion _

_ again so she can show you the gadget room _

_ (17:34) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ but like dont be pressured or anythign _

_ (17:34) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ okay ive got a literal mountain of paperwork to fill out _

_ bc allura is a monster w no remorse _

_ (17:35) From: my sun and stars <3: _

_ hope work is going well!! _

Keith grinned to himself, changing Lance’s contact and typing out a reply. He gave a customary glance around the gym, but everything seemed fine. He hit send.

_ (20:07) To: sharknado groupie _

_ Don't worry I’d love to come in sometime, I’ll look into _

_ when my next day off is and let you know _

_ (20:07) To: sharknado groupie _

_ Hope your first day back was good _

He looked up again, this time finding a lanky college student eyeing up the weights bench. Sighing, he set his phone down and stood to stop the kid from crushing a finger or something. Just in time, his phone beeped, screen lighting up.

_ (20:08) From: sharknado groupie _

_ ahhh cant wait <3<3<3 _

He walked across the gym, catching his own grinning face in the mirror. He probably looked insane, smiling to himself like that, but he didn’t care.

Not even the college kid swearing he could lift more even as his arms were trembling could sour his mood, and the evening slipped away from him. Standing at the front door of their apartment block he remembered the weird argument he and Shiro had earlier. He took the stairs up to the apartment, trying to delay the inevitable conflict. He couldn’t even mentally prepare anything to say, because he had no idea what they were going to argue about.

He eased the door open slowly, toeing his shoes off by the door and hanging up his leather jacket. He walked through to the kitchen, finding Shiro sitting calmly at the table. There was nothing in front of him that he had been doing, nothing he had been eating. Keith wondered how long he had been sitting there. 

“Take a seat, Keith,” Shiro said, in that infuriating older brother tone he had perfected over the years which always made Keith feel chastised. Keith sunk into the chair opposite. “Now. I know that you didn’t have the best upbringing, but Mom and I really hope that we have done everything we could have, to make up for the quality time you lost. We all make mistakes, Keith, but you must talk to us about it when you do, because we’re your family.” Shiro finished strong, his eyes locked on Keith in such a way that made him squirm.

Keith’s mind was still blank. “I still have no idea what we’re talking about.” He said honestly. He couldn’t wait for this conversation to be over.

“Keith, I saw you,” Shiro sighed. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Saw me doing what?” Keith spluttered.

Shiro shook his head, shoulders tense. “I thought what you were doing for Lance was a good thing and I was proud of your moral stance. I never would have expected you to do what you have done, though.” 

Keith shifted. “Wait, this is about Lance? I need to tell you-”

“You don’t need to tell me anything, Keith! I already know!” Shiro cut him off, hitting his prosthetic against the table. 

Keith frowned, his head pounding from all the noise. “Did he catch up with you as he was leaving? Why are you so angry about it?”

Shiro looked back at him blankly for a second, like he could believe what Keith was saying. “Why am I _ angry? _ Really, Keith? I thought better of you. And no, Lance didn’t need to tell me anything, I saw with my own two _ fucking eyes-” _

Keith bristled. “What the hell is going on, Shiro? I thought you would be happy!”

Shiro’s chair makes an ugly screech against the kitchen floor when Shiro shoves it back and stands, fists against the table as he leans over Keith. “You kissed him! An underage boy who trusted you to protect him, and you go and take advantage of that! What the hell, Keith? Why would I be happy about that!?”

_ Click, _all the pieces fall into place. Keith really should have figured this one out a bit sooner, but his head had been all over the place. “Oh God, Shiro.” He massaged his temple. “Give me a minute to explain.”

Shiro looked at him with distrust, but dropped back down into his chair. “You have thirty seconds.” He huffs.

Keith nodded. “Okay, so the first thing is that Lance isn’t actually an underaged prostitute. He’s twenty-four and is a detective at one of the local precincts. When I met him he was undercover, trying to bust an underage prostitution ring run by the Galra.” He took a second to breathe. “I don’t know all the details, but things got more serious and he ended up getting evidence on the head of the Galra and one of their plants in the higher-ups of the force, so he was a protected witness for a time, which was when I thought he was dead. I know it sounds crazy, and I only just found out today, but I promise you I’m not taking advantage of an underage boy.”

Shiro took a few seconds to let in sink in, looking pensively out into the distance. “Huh,” He said finally. “I see there has been a misunderstanding. That’s a lot of information to find out at once.”

Keith snorted. “You don’t say. I just found out this afternoon.”

Shiro nodded. “So you and Lance then?”

“Yeah, we’re… something right now,” He replied, scratching the back of his neck. “We don’t want to push it too hard.”

Shiro hummed, nodding. “Okay. You should invite him over for dinner sometime, and I can hear more about what happened from him. Speaking of which, we have carbonara for dinner, but you shouldn’t eat one of the Portobello mushrooms because I spat on it.” 

Keith looked at him warily. “You’re not going to tell me which one, are you?”

Shiro grinned back at him cheerfully. “Nope.”

* * *

Lance tugged at his hand, looking back at Keith where he had faltered at the bottom of the precinct steps. A small line appeared on his brow. “If you’re not ready to go in, say the word and we’ll go right now” He promised. 

Keith shook his head. It’s not that he wasn’t ready to enter and meet all of Lance’s coworkers, but the fact that they all knew about him from the operation and he knew almost nothing in return was a little disconcerting. “I’m good.” He affirmed, stepping through the doors. “They know I’m coming, right?”

Lance chuckled. “Oh yeah. I don’t think I could keep something like this from Pidge if I tried, she’s too crafty.”

Sure enough, they were barely able to step out of the elevator before a lineup of people greeted them. Lance let go of his hand to slide a steady arm around Keith’s back. “Hey everyone, meet Keith. Keith, everyone.” He gave a small gesture around the room with his other arm, still in the sling.

The first to step forward was a large towering man who smiled at him so genuinely cheerfully that it couldn’t have been anyone but the man Lance had talked about called Hunk. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Keith. I’m Hunk.” He confirmed, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, but not so much that he was trying to overmine him, and he smelt faintly like a bakery. He looked Keith straight in his eyes with nothing but cheer and Keith instantly liked him. 

“Nice to meet you too,” he replied.

The next person was short and slight but shook his hand with surprising strength. “Call me Pidge.” She said simply. “You’re lucky that I already know you’re a good guy.” She added nothing more, grinning up at him, all teeth. Keith was cautiously wary of her sharp eyes and sharper tongue, but was glad Lance had someone like that to protect him so fiercely. 

Lance let out an awkward laugh. “Thanks, Pidge. I was just thinking about how to make Keith feel at ease inside the precinct, and I think you’ve really nailed that one.” 

Keith shook his head, chuckling. “It’s alright.” And it was.

The next man was tall and muscular, with a calculating look in his eye. “Antok. Welcome to the precinct.” 

Keith didn’t know what to make of him, other than he was a man of few words. “Thanks.”

“He’s a big softie once you get to know him.” Lance promised. He perked up suddenly, bouncing on his feet. “Allura!” He exclaimed. “Come meet Keith!”

Keith follows his line of sight to the tall woman cutting across the bullpen. Even if she hadn’t been wearing the captain’s uniform, Keith was sure that he would be able to tell she was the superior officer here. Her posture was perfect, an almost regal set to her shoulders as she walked without hurry, the detectives and officers surrounding parting to make way respectfully. 

She reached for his hand, smiling. “It’s a pleasure, Keith.”

He returned the smile. “The pleasure is all mine.” He replied automatically. Lance sure did work with some incredible people.

“So, a tour?” Pidge suggested, grinning. “Also, we have so many stories to tell you.”

“Guys, I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear any of that stupid stuff.” Lance groaned.

Keith pinched Lance’s side, grinning. “I assure you that I do.” 

Hunk laughed, landing a heavy hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Oh man, we are going to get along _ great. _” 

“As long as you square away your completed case reports by the end of the day, I don’t see any problem.” Allura told them, earning an immediate deflation from the detectives. “Don’t hesitate to come by again, Keith.” She said and turned to walk back to her office. 

Antok nodded at him. “Nice to meet you.” He said and left back for his desk without further comment.

Hunk didn’t seem too bothered about the paperwork deadline. “So this is the bullpen, obviously. We spend most of our time here, working on cases. If you look over to that window there you can see a dint in the plaster beside it from when Lance thought he could beat me in office chair jousting.” 

Pidge nodded sagely. “I have a video of Lance trying to type up case reports with his funny splintered fingers, I’ll show it to you sometime.”

Lance side-eyed her. “You told me you deleted that.” 

“Did I? Strange.” She replied in an innocent tone. 

And so it continued, until Keith had been shown the exact place where Lance had tipped a shelf of case files on top of himself in the storage room, to a delightful reenactment of the time Lance had tried to interrogate a murder suspect after a dentist appointment with a numb lower lip in the interrogation room. Now, the were approaching Pidge’s favourite place, the ‘Gadget’ room where she promised to show him a wide range of weapons that Keith seriously doubted his visitor’s badge gave him clearance for. 

“So, Lance is standing there, no pants on, in the middle of this swanky hotel lobby, nothing on him but the lobster claw from the restaurant-” Pidge tells him, tears of laughter in the corner of her eyes.

“-And he goes up to the clerk,” Hunk continues, shoulders heaving. “And he says-”

The fire alarm splits through the air and everything changes in half a second. 

Pidge and Hunk snap into seriousness as the overhead sprinklers start raining water down upon them, already heading off in different directions. 

“I’m going for the hard drives! Make sure you get all the perps out!” Pidge calls as she disappears around the corner.

Before Keith can even begin to think about what he should do Lance is already pulling him back down the hallway with his good arm. 

Keith can only follow, and watch Lance’s shoulders as his shirt is steadily drenched. “It’s probably a false alarm,” He tells him. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Lance, don’t you have something you need to do? I can get to the fire exit by myself.” Keith asks, trying to flick his soaked hair from his eyes.

Lance shook his head. “Just let me do this, Keith.” He looked back at him over his shoulder. The light is hazy, but not so much that Keith can’t see the half desperation nestled there. “Please.”

“Okay,” Keith relented, picking up his pace.

They entered back into the bullpen, an absolute mess of papers and chairs strewn about where people had left them in an instant, the perps in the holding cell churning by the door as Antok lead them out. Lance pulled him over to the fire exit, not letting go of Keith’s arm until he was safely outside. 

“Just straight down the stairs from here, okay?” He said, hesitating for half a second.

Keith surged forward, dropping a quick kiss to Lance’s lips. “Thank you,” He told him. “Be safe.”

Lance looked him square in the eyes. “I will.” He promised, and Keith believed him. 

Later, when he was sitting on the pavement across from Lance’s precinct, one cup of coffee in his hand with another sitting beside him, he reflected on the different side of Lance that he had just seen. He had seen his boyfriend become the public servant in a blink of an eye, watched as the aura of practised calm had come upon him. He wondered what it meant that Lance had prioritised him over everything else in the station. He didn’t think they were ready for that conversation yet, though. 

When Lance had led him out of there though, Keith hadn’t had a single doubt in his mind.

He instinctively trusted Lance with his life.

* * *

Dinner with Shiro goes surprisingly well.

Lance managed to field Shiro’s barrage of questions within the first ten minutes with practiced ease, almost as if he was giving a debrief to a commanding officer. Finally, they were able to move onto normal people conversation while Shiro served his signature katsudon from scratch. Keith couldn’t help but smile to himself. As much as Shiro had tried to play it off like Lance’s first evening with them was no big deal, he still spent a long time preparing dinner, giving away how much effort he had put in. Keith didn’t rib his brother for it, even though he could have. He wanted the evening to go well, too.

What Lance might have lacked in skill with chopsticks he made up for in eagerness. Keith found himself eating at half the pace, too busy watching Lance as he scooped the fried pork and rice into his mouth. There was something amusingly captivating about the way he carefully made sure each mouthful had the perfect amount of sauce and his pout whenever a sliver of egg fell back into his bowl before he could eat it.

“We moved to America when I was six, and we always spoke in Japanese at home, but my mother made sure I kept learning Kanji as I grew up, although I didn’t always appreciate it. I was glad when we went back to see my grandparents though.” Shiro was saying.

Lance nodded in agreement, shifting his bowl around carefully. He had been released from the sling a few days ago, but Keith had noticed he still favoured his good arm. “I know exactly what you mean. For every book we had to read in school here my mom bought my siblings and I the same one in Spanish and made us read both because she wanted our level in each to be equal.” Lance knocked his knee into Keith’s, but he didn’t look at him. The only clue Keith had was the twitch at the corner of Lance’s lips. “What was it like when Keith came to the house?”

Shiro grinned. “Well, my mother knew that he didn’t speak any Japanese but sometimes she forgot, and poor Keith got talked at a lot of the time.”

“It took a bit to get used to,” Keith pointed out, sliding the side of his foot against Lance’s calf. “But now I understand a lot. I just can’t speak very well, and reading Kanji even less.”

“I was so excited to have a sibling,” Shiro added. “I had been an only child my whole life and didn’t get to see my cousins that often. You come from a big family, right?”

Lance nodded with vigour, clearing away the last few grains of rice until his bowl was completely clean. He pressed back against Keith’s foot, his own hooking around Keith’s ankle. “Oh yeah. It’s like a clown car, how many people used to fit into the house back in Cuba. Luis is the oldest, he married his high school girlfriend and started his family pretty young so I’m a proud uncle. Veronica, who could kick your ass, Rachel, forever my partner in crime, and little Marco and Candela. Luis and Gabriela live there now and we all go back and visit heaps.”

Shiro whistled lowly. “Must have been hard to find a quiet moment.” He remarked, standing to clear away the dishes.

“You bet -woah there buddy you’ve gotta let me do the cleaning up.” Lance interjected, standing as well and trying to grab at the remaining plates. “My mama would kill me if I didn’t help wash up.”

Shiro bet him to it, filling his arms with dishes. “Not going to happen,” He replied, staring Lance down. “_ My _mother would kill me if I let a guest do the dishes.” 

They stood at a standstill for half a second, before Lance sighed and raised his hands. “Alright, alright.” He relented. 

Shiro smiled, content. “Why don’t you two go on into the living room while I finish up here, I’ll be heading out soon to Matt’s soon anyway.”

Keith felt the corners of his mouth tugging upward. This was the first he was hearing of this. “Is that so?” He asked as neutrally as possible.

“Yeah, he’s got a date tomorrow night and needs to try on every piece of clothing he owns with someone to tell him everything looks good.” Shiro joked. 

Lance laughed, taking Keith’s arm in his. “Sounds like an exciting night.” He replied.

“You bet,” Shiro said, waving a tea towel at them. “Now shoo.” He ordered. 

They did as they were told, shuffling through to the living room and sitting on the edge of the couch. 

Keith hesitated for a moment. “So, a movie?” He asked.

“Sure! Can I pick?” Lance replied, eyes lit up.

Keith nodded along. “Sure, you’re the-” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Lance. “On the express exclusion of Sharknado, then yes.” Lance pouted. Then, Keith could practically see a thought cross his mind as he perked up again, mouth opening- “Or the sequel.” Keith added quickly. 

Lance scrunched up his nose. “Aw, no fun.” He said with fake injury, but still leant into Keith’s side as he loaded up his Netflix. 

They ended up watching a heist movie, because Lance liked to laugh at the useless police officers and Keith enjoyed the plan.

Or well, he would have, if he wasn’t so aware of every inch of his body that was pressed against Lance’s. He was sitting at an uncomfortable angle against the backrest, but was caught not wanting to move. When he looked down at Lance, eyes fixed on the screen and laughter bubbling deep in his chest, Keith couldn’t bring himself to risk breaking the moment. 

On the screen, some character said some funny thing, and Keith chuckled along with Lance even though he had no idea what had been said. 

“Bye, guys!” Shiro called out. “Have a good night!”

“You too!” Keith called back to the sound of the door clicking shut. 

Lance settled even further into Keith, impossibly. Keith gave up any hope in watching the movie, choosing to watch Lance instead. He breathed slowly, the warm air tickling the skin over Keith’s collarbones. His hair was mussed, strands threatening to fall into his eyes. Keith’s fingers twitched with the urge to brush them back. 

The hem of Lance’s shirt had flipped up as he had sat down, and a sliver of brown skin was visible in the gap made above the waistline of his jeans. Before he could think twice, he reached down to brush his fingers over the skin, ever so lightly.

Lance shivered at his touch, but didn’t say anything, eyes still fixed on the television. Keith grinned to himself. 

Slowly, he inched his fingers higher, rucking up Lance’s shirt a little. He leant more weight into the touch, rubbing circles into Lance’s skin. Still, Lance didn’t look up, but the quickening of his breaths gave him away. 

He changed the circles for letters, writing the same message, over and over. 

Lance stilled for a few moments, then chuckled. “Thank you.” 

“I mean it,” Keith replied, dropping a kiss to the top of Lance’s head. He would write _ you’re beautiful _a hundred times more if he had to.

Lance twisted around to face him properly, a hand reaching up to Keith’s cheek. “What did I do to deserve you?” He asked, but didn’t wait for an answer, leaning forward to press a sweet kiss to Keith’s lips. 

They started slow, becoming comfortable in the shape of each other’s lips. Keith ran a hand through Lance’s hair, relishing at the softness of it, and deepened the kiss. He drew Lance closer with the hand at his hip and the tentative touches from before were long forgotten. Now the kisses were hotter and rushed, and Keith felt like there was too much space left between them. 

When the credits finally ran, they didn’t notice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing up, love wasn’t a word that he had heard often, if at all. In his worn-out blurry memories of his parents, he is sure he heard love, but since they died love was a closely guarded possession that he didn’t give away. With Shiro, it had taken a long time for Keith to feel comfortable with such vulnerable things like talking about his feelings. But here, standing barefoot in the kitchen, staring at the way moonlight lay itself over Lance’s cheekbones, Keith knew that he wanted to love him. 
> 
> It was too early, for both Keith and their relationship, but yes. Keith could see himself loving this man with all he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again!

Keith was showing one of their new customers around the gym and equipment -a female bodybuilder that easily had fifty pounds on him, face twisted in an impossibly neutral scowl- when Shay caught his eye from where she was standing by the front door. There was obviously something that needed his attention. 

“We have all our dumbbells and medicine balls set up in this room here,” He told her, gesturing towards a glass door. “I have to take care of something quickly, but I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, you’re welcome to get settled in.”

She nodded in agreement. Keith had learned very quickly that she was a woman of few words. He jogged over to Shay, dodging around the resistance machines. 

“What’s up?” He asked when he reached her.

“There’s a man here to see you, but you don’t have anything written in,” She explained. “He said his name was Hunk?” Keith wasn’t sure if he was imagining the pink dusting on her cheeks or not.

He grinned. “Ah, he’s a friend of Lance. He can come right through to talk while I keep an eye on the floor.”

Shay straightened immediately. There wasn’t a member of staff that didn’t already know Lance by name, and it was clear that they all held high regard for him and his friends. Keith felt something warm nestle its way into his chest. “Sure thing!” She replied, turning on her heel.

Hunk breezed through the doors soon after, wrapping Keith up in a hug he was only half ready for. “Good to see you, man! How’s it going?”

“It’s good, it’s good.” Keith laughed, disentangling himself. “What brings you here?”

Hunk shifted his weight to the other foot. “Well, I needed to speak with you but couldn’t ask Lance for your number without him asking why. So I figured I’d just show up here. Didn’t know I needed to make an appointment with the boss man though!” He joked good-naturedly.

Keith chuckled. “Just one of the boss men, actually.” He replied, looking back over the gym floor. The bodybuilder he had been showing around had already disappeared. “What did you want to talk about?”

Hunk rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, Pidge and I thought that Lance would be the type to not tell you that his birthday is coming up in a month so you don’t feel pressured about getting a gift, so I’m here to tell you… that.” He finished awkwardly.

Keith blinked. Lance had, indeed, not told him about his birthday. Of course he would be the type to pointedly not mention it in the hope of saving Keith discomfort. “He didn’t,” Keith confirmed. “Thanks for telling me, now I have plenty of time to find him a present.” 

It wasn’t that Keith had a _ bad _ record of present shopping, just that he hadn’t given enough presents to be able to come to a solid inference that he was terrible at picking things out for other people _ (“Keith, why would I need an egg cuber?” “You eat eggs, don’t you?”) _. Growing up as the troubled foster kid he wasn’t exactly invited out to many birthday parties. However, he was sure with enough time and Shiro vetting the worse options he would be fine. 

“Yeah, that’s what we thought, too. A few of us at the station are planning a surprise party for him, too!” He looked genuinely excited at the prospect and Keith immediately knew that in a month he would find himself hiding behind a couch in the dark, waiting for Lance to walk in. “We should swap numbers, and I can keep you updated.” Hunk suggested.

Keith nodded, pulling out his phone. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks a lot, Hunk.”

Hunk saved not only his number but three more, grinning at him as he passed him his phone back. “We’re thinking on a beach theme, but you don’t have to go out of your way to dress up and stuff if you don’t want to!”

A few months ago, Keith would have balked at the idea. Now, he only shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll see.” He promised. “Everything going okay at the station after the fire alarm?”

Hunk nodded. “Yeah, Allura tried to make us iron out all the water damaged files but even she realised that it would take up too much crime stopping time. She still uses it as a threat, though.” He said cheerfully. “They still haven’t found the cause of the initial smoke though. All the wiring is still perfect and Antok has gone around all the officers smelling for tobacco smoke and found nothing.”

Keith shrugged. “I guess sometimes these things happen. It did remind me to go over out fire safety here, though.”

Hunk spread his arms in a what-can-you-do gesture. “There’s at least that. Well, I’ve got to let you get back to work. Lance thinks that I’m on a callout for a Bed Bath and Beyond fistfight.”

“Sounds like a Tuesday,” Keith joked, surprising himself. “I’ll see you around.”

Hunk left, and Keith started a new note in his phone titled _ Tricep building set plan, _ thinking that if Lance happens to see it for some reason he would think anything of it. Then, on second consideration, maybe Lance would open it with perverted thoughts about Keith’s triceps. Keith changed the title to _ Protein powder recipe ideas. _

Satisfied, he got to work compiling a list of things he could get for the person that was rapidly becoming a larger and larger part of his life. 

* * *

The sheets rustle, the bed dips and Keith’s eyes flicker open. Lance is a silhouette in the window, the set of his shoulders tight as his fingers check the latches. 

Keith checks the time on his phone. It’s just after one, and he wonders if Lance had awoken from a nightmare or if he had even fallen asleep at all. Lance slips out of the room quietly, trying not to wake him no doubt. Keith had learned to be a light sleeper at foster homes though. He knew that right now all he could do was give Lance space and time to do what he needed to do.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, padding barefoot through the living area to the small kitchen. Lance’s apartment was becoming more familiar to him as he stayed over more, and now he was able to easily find a pot and all the ingredients he needed. 

He heard the slide of the deadbolt coming out and then back into place, the rasp of the key as Lance drew it out again. Keith poured in the milk and dumped in nearly half the recommended amount of drinking chocolate. A few drops of vanilla. The bathroom window was next, only able to open twenty degrees three floors up from the ground but Lance closed it anyway. Keith shook in cinnamon and a little chilli powder, stirring the mixture as it came up to a simmer. 

He heard Lance’s footsteps as they started to walk back to the bedroom and the abrupt stop when he saw Keith. A pair of arms came to wrap around his waist as Keith kept stirring, and Lance’s chin dropped down onto his shoulder. “‘M sorry I woke you.” He said softly.

Keith placed his spare hand over Lance’s entwined ones where they rested against Keith’s stomach, thumb rubbing over calloused knuckles. “Don’t worry about it,” He replied. “You don’t ever have to worry about it, yeah?”

Lance hummed, pressing his nose to Keith’s neck. “Okay.” He nodded to the pot. “That smells good.”

“It’s a special recipe I learnt from Shiro’s mom,” Keith explained. “Hers is much better than I could ever make, though. She’s a great woman and an even better mom.” He poured hot water into two mugs to warm them, moving carefully not to dislodge Lance on his back. “After Shiro lost his arm he would wake up in the middle of the night with phantom pains. She would make this hot chocolate for him every time, without fail, and just sit with him until it got better.” Keith decided the mixture looked thick enough, tipping the water from the mugs so he could fill them with the dark mixture. “Even if it meant she didn’t get any sleep at all. Try it.” He said, twisting in Lance’s embrace to hand him a mug.

Lance unwrapped himself from Keith so he could take it. He lifted the hot chocolate to his mouth and took a small sip. Keith watched Lance’s eyelids slip closed, revelling in the upturn of his lips as he took a long drink. Lance opened his eyes again and, finding Keith’s gaze on him smiled back at him fully. “It’s good. Really good.”

Keith ducked his head. “I’m glad.” He said, taking the time to pick up his own mug and drink the hot chocolate. He still wasn’t at the level of Shiro’s mom, but it might’ve been one of the best he’s ever made. Keith understood now how she was able to perfect it so well. Time, patience, and wanting to soothe the pain.

Keith let the silence settle comfortably between them. He knew that if Lance wanted to talk about it, he would in time. Keith didn’t need to poke and rush him. 

Growing up, love wasn’t a word that he had heard often, if at all. In his worn-out blurry memories of his parents, he is sure he heard love, but since they died love was a closely guarded possession that he didn’t give away. With Shiro, it had taken a long time for Keith to feel comfortable with such vulnerable things like talking about his feelings. But here, standing barefoot in the kitchen, staring at the way moonlight lay itself over Lance’s cheekbones, Keith knew that he wanted to love him. 

It was too early, for both Keith and their relationship, but yes. Keith could see himself loving this man with all he had.

Lance cleared his throat. “I know most of the Galra have been tracked down by now. I know that those left are lying low. I know,” He took a breath, fingers drumming against the mug. “That nothing has happened in months now. But every time I feel myself relaxing again, I just-” He broke off, staring out the window. Keith set his cup on the counter. “It’s like I can never stop holding my breath. I’m stuck, waiting for the disaster to come. I woke up tonight not being able to remember if I locked the door or not and I had to check.” He bit his lip. “And I had this time. But my biggest fear is that one time I will get too comfortable and forget, and that will be the time a Galra member comes in looking for me, and they’ll find you, too.” He looked into Keith’s eyes. “I agreed to that possibility when I took the Galra assignment. But you’ve never had that choice.”

Keith swallowed, feeling the weight of Lance’s worry. He cupped the side of Lance’s face with a hand, the other coming to rest on his ribs. “But I did choose, Lance. You didn’t force me into any of this. I chose that first day you told me who you were and I have chosen every day since to be with you. No matter what possibility of things that could happen, I will still choose you.” Lance’s lip trembled, just a little bit. Keith continued. “I feel safe with you, and I don’t care if you need to check the locks on the door a hundred times to feel safe too. I will stay here making hot chocolates for as long as you’ll have me.”

Lance chuckled wetly, turning his head to kiss the palm of Keith’s hand. “Thank you, Keith. Really. I’m lucky to have you. And your hot chocolate.”

Keith feels the smile breaking over his face. It feels warm. “I’m lucky to have you too.” He says, and leaves the rest unsaid. 

They stay there until after the mugs have been emptied and clouds have crept over the moon and the stress has melted from Lance’s bones. 

* * *

Keith stared down the long line of stores with a healthy level of desperation. Time was already slipping away from him. He wondered idly if buying Lance ten different things would work. Probability said that he would probably legitimately enjoy at least one out of ten. 

What Keith really didn’t want was for Lance to open his birthday present and be forced to act surprised and delighted by some horrid gift and then feel burdened to use it forever. Sighing, he entered the next store, one that specialised in nice smelling hand creams and diffusers and the like. A twisting artificial tree with paper cherry blossoms dominated the centre of the store. Soft music was playing, and he felt like he was going to vibrate out of his skin.

A worker approached him with a serene smile and a tray of small paper cups. “Would you like some tea?” She asked. 

He picked up a little cup. “Thanks.” He mumbled. 

“Looking for a gift?” She asked, giving him a knowing look. He nodded. “We have pre-made gift packs on the wall over there, and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.” 

He nodded, venturing further inside. He took a sip of tea, finding it particularly leaf tasting. It was a mix, probably intended to calm customers to a blissed point where they would buy twice as much as they first intended. 

Keith wandered over to one of the coloured shelves, finding an incredible range of little bottles that each promised they did a different thing. He picked up a tester, lifting it to his nose. It smelled… nice? He thought, anyway. 

It turns out, they all smelt pretty nice to Keith. He couldn’t figure out which was meant to be the most nice, though. He pulled out his phone, sending a picture of one of the shelves to Hunk.

_ (10:48) To: Hunkanator: _

_ I could use some help _

_ (10:48) To: Hunkanator: _

_ Which of these do you think Lance would like? _

Keith was pretty sure that they were on shift right now, so he pocketed his phone, expecting a slow reply. His phone buzzed a few seconds later. Must be a slow day, he guessed. 

_ (10:49) From: Hunkanator: _

_ Ah Lance loves that store! _

_ (10:49) From: Hunkanator: _

_ Hmm, I think he said the other day that he was low _

_ on body butter! _

_ (10:50) From: Hunkanator: _

_ But all that stuff is seriously nice _

Keith smiled, feeling a bit more confident in this store now. He could get something from here, and combine it with some other things he might find in the future. That seemed like a decent idea, that way he wasn’t putting all his hopes on a single item. That was something people did, right?

_ (10:51) To: Hunkanator: _

_ Awesome, thank you so much dude _

_ (10:51) From: Hunkanator: _

_ No worries man! Anytime :) _

He started to gravitate to one of the shelves, planning on finding a body butter, and hoping it didn’t have any actual dairy in it. He would have liked to say that he came to the realisation that it was the best scent most suited to Lance, but really he chose it because the packaging was blue and it was meant to be “fresh” and “invigorating”; two words Keith was pretty sure Lance would use to describe himself. After a minute of searching, he found the right tub. Feeling accomplished, he was halfway to the register, tub in hand, when he received another message.

_ (10:54) From: gremlin: _

_ as the self appointed lance mcclain present _

_ coordinator i feel like i should tell you that _

_ Allura has already gone all out on a package _

_ from that store _

_ (10:54) From: gremlin: _

_ hunk didn’t know so i thought id save the day _

Keith blinked at the text, taking a while for the words to sink in. It was annoying that he had to start over again, but he agreed that it was better to know now than to find out later. 

He had never talked to this number before, so it was likely either Lance of Hunk had put it in for him. Someone at the station then, who talked like that, had near omnipresent knowledge and could be considered a gremlin…. Pidge. He added to the contact name for his own sake, another message coming through as he hit save.

_ (10:55) From: gremlin (Pidge): _

_ sorry bud youve still got plenty of time tho _

_ (10:54) To: gremlin (Pidge): _

_ No worries, thanks for letting me know _

Sighing, he turned back around and placed the tub back on its shelf carefully. It would be just his luck to manage to bring a whole display down. He took the shortest route out of the store, trying to avoid contact with the nice saleswoman who he’d commission teased, throwing a quick thanks over his shoulder as he left. 

“-I really need to be here?” Keith almost ran right into the woman loitering in the doorway on a phone call, managing to sidestep at the last minute. She stepped back in surprise, her inky black hair swaying around her face. Her head turned, and he was sure that she was sending him a chilling glare through her sunglasses. 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” He apologised, moving past her quickly. She looked like she had somewhere to be, all dressed in sharp black lines like that. He shook his head, trying to put the interaction behind him as he looked down the shopping street again. It was a cloudy day, and something struck him odd about that.

His phone buzzed again, twice.

_ (10:59) From: gremlin (Pidge): _

_ fyi gold looks great on lance _

_ (10:59) From: Hunkanator: _

_ I agree!! _

Keith pursed his lips, creating a mental image in his mind, and oh, yeah. He could see where Pidge was going with that. He scanned down the line of stores, looking for a jeweller. 

* * *

Keith fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he waited for the light to change. Shiro had helped him choose his outfit for the island themed party, because they both knew that Keith on his own would be helpless. He had negotiated himself into some plain white linen shorts, but Shiro had full reign on his shirt, a pale blue button-up adorned with a pattern of tiny surfboards. A pair of plastic yellow sunglasses perched on his head and he was ready to go, if a little self-conscious as he weaved his way through the crowds towards the bar Allura had reserved for the party. 

Lance still hadn’t said anything about it being his birthday, and both Hunk and Pidge had been gleefully keeping him updated on Lance’s obliviousness to the party. Allura was going to send him out on a fake call about an elderly streaker at a slam poetry competition, and when he arrived to no such thing she planned to apologize and send him the ‘correct location’ -the bar. 

The walking man turned green, and Keith tried not to focus too much on the padded box that felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. Keith hoped Lance would like it. 

Just as his feet hit the sidewalk a girl with her hair strung up in a high braided ponytail bounced towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck into an unexpected hug. Keith froze, his arms still hanging by his side. He had no idea who this girl was.

“Please help me,” She whispered in his ear. “I think there’s a man following me. Would you mind walking me to the next street over?” She asked.

He was almost at the bar, but he still had time. There was no way he could deny the girl this, not if he wanted to go back to the gym and look Romelle in the eye. “Yeah, no problem.” He replied lowly.

“Great!” She beamed at him, slipping her arm in the crook of his and pulling the two of them down the side street. They walked in silence for a few seconds, the girl looking over her shoulder. “He’s still looking.” She said, worrying at her lip. 

“We can walk a little faster,” Keith suggested, picking up the pace. She kept up easily. They were coming up on a building covered in scaffolding, but Keith couldn’t hear any of the tell-tale sounds of machinery even though it was the middle of the day. In fact, there weren’t any people walking on the pavement other than them. Something in the back of his mind baulked at that, but he brushed it aside.

“I’m Ezor, by the way.” She told him, looking much happier already. 

He gave her a tight smile in return. “Keith,” He replied.

Her smile grew, teeth bared. “I know.” She said simply.

An arm shot out from the scaffolding and pulled him roughly through a flap in the canvas. A yell could barely leave Keith’s mouth before something hard and cold came crashing into the side of Keith’s head.

His vision flooded with black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Keith. Dude keeps getting head injuries.
> 
> See you next week! Tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anger seethed in Keith’s gut. He couldn’t get a read on this man, who had kidnapped him off the street like it was a usual Thursday appointment. Maybe it was, and Keith had somehow walked into the hands of a serial killer. “What do you want?” He asked, testing the strength of the rope that bound him. It held firm.  
Lotor clicked his tongue. “That’s such a dull question, don’t you think? Overused. I’m not some Bond villain, Keith.” He turned around, eyes glinting in the low light. “Although I suppose I have to cater to my rather dull audience, don’t you think? It’s only proper.” He let out a long sigh, shrugging his shoulders. “Simply put, I want the same as you, Keith. I want to give our dear friend Lance McClain a birthday present he will surely never forget.”

Keith woke to a pounding in his head. 

The memory of being knocked out was enough to send him jerking upward, trying to stand on his feet, but he couldn’t rise more than an inch. He was tied to a cold metal bench that must have been bolted to the floor.

The room was dark, Keith’s eyes taking some time to adjust. He was in some kind of waiting room, with rows of metal benches like the one he was sitting on. Shafts of golden light streamed through the boarded-up windows. He can’t have been out for long then, if the sun was just going down now. Unless this was the morning of the next day, but Keith didn’t want to think about that.

“I know, I know. You have a party to be at, don’t you?” A saccharine voice called out. Keith’s head whipped to the side, finding a thin man in an expensive suit lounging on the next bench over. The man pouted thoughtfully, brushing a strand of his long silver hair behind his ear. “Although, I dare say the whole thing has been called off, on account of the birthday boy’s beloved boyfriend going missing. Sorry!” He grinned, arms spreading in a helpless gesture.

Keith’s blood ran cold. For all the man put on a frivolous exterior, Keith was sure that this was the most dangerous man he had ever met. “Who  _ are  _ you?” He rasped. 

The man touched a finger to his cheek in a childish gesture. “Ah, father really never did like to talk about me much. Although I suppose he did have a point, because none of those stupid police officers know who I am.” He rose to his full height and approached Keith, sliding a pale hand underneath Keith’s tied down one, grasping it in a mockery of a handshake. “Please call me Lotor, I’m  _ enchanted _ to finally meet you, Keith.”

The man -Lotor smiled, leaning into his space. Keith took the opportunity to spit in his eye.

He barely had a moment to feel the satisfaction before Lotor hit him across the face, backhanded, Keith’s head snapping to the side. Lotor wore a ring on his hand, and Keith could feel the hot line it left behind, blood soon dripping down his cheek. 

Lotor had turned his back on him, walking away to the window, already a perfect picture of calm again. “That wasn’t very polite.” He tutted. “I expected more, I think.” 

Anger seethed in Keith’s gut. He couldn’t get a read on this man, who had kidnapped him off the street like it was a usual Thursday appointment. Maybe it was, and Keith had somehow walked into the hands of a serial killer. “What do you want?” He asked, testing the strength of the rope that bound him. It held firm.

Lotor clicked his tongue. “That’s such a dull question, don’t you think? Overused. I’m not some Bond villain, Keith.” He turned around, eyes glinting in the low light. “Although I suppose I have to cater to my rather dull audience, don’t you think? It’s only proper.” He let out a long sigh, shrugging his shoulders. “Simply put, I want the same as you, Keith. I want to give our dear friend Lance McClain a birthday present he will surely never forget.”

Keith froze at the mention of Lance’s name. This had something to do with the breakdown of the Galra, he was sure of it. This was revenge. “You sick son of a-”

“I fear you must not speak of my mother in such a callous way, Keith. At least so you don’t risk summoning the witch.” Lotor interrupted him. He tilted his head to the side. “Although that would be quite a feat, considering she’s in prison.” 

Keith’s mind raced, trying to put the pieces together. “I thought for a long time about the perfect present for dear Lance, as I’m sure you did as well,” Lotor continued. “I had to think of the perfect thing that would pay back all he did for me. It’s not everyday you inherit a criminal empire because your father gets caught on tape by a wannabe whore, after all.”

“You’re-” Keith hadn’t known Zarkon had a son. He didn’t think Lance had, either. 

“Yes, I know. Very common reaction, that.” Lotor flipped his hair over his shoulder, coming back towards Keith again. “Originally I thought I would burn down his precinct. We practised and everything, to see where the ants would run when they smelt smoke. But I saw something that day that made me realise I could do better.” He grinned at Keith, dropping down onto the bench across from him, spreading out in a fake swoon. “Lance, the hero, making sure his precious boyfriend was safe and sound before everything else.”

Keith shook his head, the memory of the fire alarm that had rung the first time he visited the precinct bouncing around his skull. How long had Lotor been planning this? “You bastard.”

“I am, actually!” Lotor replied cheerily. “I realised that setting fire to the precinct, while effective, could have been done by a number of people.  _ My  _ gift had to be special, one of a kind. I’ve put in so much effort. I even bought a banner!” He exclaimed, pointing above Keith’s head.

Keith craned his head up, the movement causing his temple to throb even more. There, hung on the white concrete wall above Keith’s head, the letters of ‘Happy Birthday’ were strung on holographic bunting. Keith felt sick. 

“Not that I had to try too hard, of course. I don’t want to offend you Keith, but you’re quite a simple man. Zethrid and Azca had your routine sorted out within a week. If it’s any consolation, Zethrid did say that your gym programs were really quite good. Say hello, Zethid.” He called out.

A door Keith hadn’t noticed before opened, a woman leaning through the doorway obligingly. “Hello.” She said gruffly, before stepping back and closing the door again. 

The realisation hit Keith like another brick to the head. The bodybuilder he had shown around the gym. They had been watching him this whole time.

Lotor seemed to read his thoughts from his face. “Yes, and you’ve met Ezor as well, of course.” Keith could feel the itch of dried blood and scabs on his temple. “I could have kidnapped you quite a while ago, but I made myself wait for Lance’s birthday. The poetry of it is just… delicious.”

Keith breathed through his nose, trying to tune Lotor out. “I hate to be rude, but you don’t mind me taking a peek at your present for Lance, do you?” Lotor asked, slowly drawing the wrapped package from his own pocket, tugging the ribbon free. “Good, I am  _ so _ consumed by knowing mine is the best present received, after all.” He told him in the conspiratorial tone of someone confessing a guilty pleasure. He slid a nail under the sellotape, careful not to rip the paper. When the padded box was revealed he let out a sigh of pleasure. Keith ground his teeth. 

With a snap, Lotor opened the lid, awh-ing at the jewellery inside. “Ah, how elegant. It’s not better than mine, of course, but I must say I’m impressed with you, Keith. Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure Lance gets it.” A thought appeared to come to him with a gasp. “I know how we can make it even better. You see, the key is to really put a piece of yourself in the gift.” With a grin, he rose, coming to Keith’s side, a hand reaching for his hair. 

With a sharp tug, he ripped a few stands of Keith’s hair free. He dangled them in front of Keith’s face. His stomach sank at the thought of Lance finding those bloodstained strands. “There we go,” Lotor said, content. He carefully placed the hair inside the jewellery box, snapping it shut again. “Something to remember you by.” 

Keith’s lungs felt tight. He didn’t want to think about Lance finding those strands of hair, but with every passing second, he felt his chances of getting out of this situation alive growing slimmer. Lotor clearly had something planned, and Keith resolved himself to not help him in any way by acting in the hopeless way Lotor clearly wanted him to. 

Lotor flicked on a pair of portable wash lights, aiming them at Keith. The harsh light blinded him and he forced his eyelid shut. “We’ve come to the best part, Keith.” He told him. “You’re going to help me make Lance’s present.”

“I’m not going to help you do anything.” Keith responded automatically. He opened his eyes, willing them to adjust to the new light. 

“Ah, how boring. I would really rather not threaten you, Keith.” Lotor sighed. “Remember, we’ve been following you for weeks. It would really be too easy to send Axca over to kill your dear adopted brother. Shiro, isn’t it? Funny name.”

Keith clenched his jaw, but didn’t protest further. He would do anything to keep Shiro safe and Lotor knew it too. 

“I thought that would make you a lot more polite. You’re not a very surprising man, Keith.” Lotor continued. “Narti is coming to meet you, and she’s bringing a camera with her so we can film the first clue for Lance’s birthday treasure hunt! I hope you’re not camera shy, but not to worry, I’ve prepared a script for you.” He giggled with pleasure, brandishing a large artist’s sketchbook.

Keith took a moment to scan the room again now that he had more light. To his right, where the room had seemingly dropped off into blackness were railway tracks. On the other side of the room, what he had thought was a wall was actually ticket booths, the glass partitions cracked and covered with tarpaulins from the other side. Above the ticket booths, a bronze sign hung, but the words had been covered over. 

Keith wracked his brains. He couldn’t be in the subway, because he had seen daylight coming through the windows. The room he was in looked like a classic ticket and waiting room, like for a rollercoaster, but there weren’t any theme parks in the city. 

Lotor tutted. Keith’s head snapped back to him, finding his gaze pinned down by Lotor. “Your efforts of getting out of here alive are really quite remarkable, you know. Even if you do figure out where you are, I hope that you don’t think so little of me that I would send a live video to the police so you can yell out the location. Maybe if you do well I’ll let you add your last words in at the end, though. Any funny business I’ll just cut out though, so it really is better if you don’t try.”

At that moment, the door opened again and another woman who Keith hadn’t seen before shuffled in, duffel bag in hand. This must be Narti. 

“Perfect timing, Narti.” Lotor cooed, confirming Keith’s thoughts. 

She moved slowly, her feet sliding forward before the rest of her body. Her eyes were open wide, but they were focused on a spot behind Lotor, not actually on him. Keith let out a rushed breath in surprise. One of the first classes Shiro had pitched was exercise for the disabled. Keith knew a blind person when he saw them, no matter the fact that she carried no cane or service dog leash. 

Narti didn’t say anything in reply, walking until her legs hit the bench where Lotor was and setting the duffel bag down, unzipping it and fishing out a camera and tripod. Her fingers expertly set up the equipment in well practised movements. 

Lotor lined the camera up with Keith’s face, a grin splitting his lips. “Isn’t this exciting?” He asked. 

Keith didn’t bother to answer. Where else in the city were there train rails, if not the subway? The thick layer of dust that coated the floor and benches told him that it hadn’t been used for a long time. He looked back over to the train tracks. They didn’t run flat, instead inclining upwards like they were going up a hill. He ignored the ache in his skull and imagined the room full of people, tickets clutched in their hands as they waited to be carried up a hill in a carriage.

He was in a cable car station. He was sure of it. 

Lotor flipped open the sketchpad, revealing the start of the script. Keith started back at him blankly, jaw set. His mind was racing. How could he tell Lance where he was without Lotor picking up on it? 

The sketchbook was dropped back to the bench and Lotor let out a big sigh. He stood, waving his arms like a dramatic film director. “No, no. The energy is all wrong.” He complained. “You need to put some  _ emotion  _ into it, Keith.” He told him. He stopped, considering. “I’ll have to help you prepare, won’t I?”

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t going to tell you until after, but now will have to do. You see, I’m sending Lance on a wonderful treasure hunt all over the city, with Axca following along to see how he’s going. He will run around like a mouse in a maze until-” He broke off into a chuckle, a finger rising to brush away non-existent crocodile tears. “I’m sorry, it’s still hilarious to me. The punch line, my dear Keith, is that the final clue makes no sense at all. For all he might try, he will  _ never _ be able to find you. Isn’t it elegant?”

Keith might as well have been hit in the gut. The mask he had tried to put in place shattered. “You’re a sick, disgusting-”

“Yes, I’m sure you could list a lot of boring adjectives. How long do you think he will look for you until he gives up? A few months? A year? I would suggest a wager, but I fear you won’t be able to pay up.” Keith couldn’t escape the image of a desperate Lance, searching for him forever. Lotor continued, “Maybe after some time a group of children will break in here and find your withered corpse, and he will finally be able to come face to face with his greatest failure.” 

Lance would blame himself. Keith was sure of it. Lotor’s plan would drive him to the brink. Keith was scared to die, of course he was. But he was terrified for what his death would do to Lance and Shiro.

A memory flashed through his mind, that first night Lance had met Shiro properly as his boyfriend. The nervous excitement Keith had felt as they had sat on the couch, not watching the movie. The words he had written on Lance’s hip with his fingertip.

_ You’re beautiful. _

The words he had written with his fingertip… The idea came to Keith so suddenly he could almost cry.

“Lights, Camera, Action!” Lotor crowed, content with the broken look on Keith’s face. 

The camera’s red light started flickering. Keith wet his dry lips, and began. 

“Happy Birthday, Lance. I hope you’re enjoying the surprise.” Keith lifted a finger, carefully tracing out letters against the armrest he was tied to. “Zarkon’s heir wishes to pass along his thanks.”

_ U R FOLOWD.  _

Lotor flipped to the next page, urging him on with a wave of his arm. “I’m sending you on a treasure hunt to find me.” Keith was so tense he was sure he was going to throw up before he could finish.

_ CABLE CAR. _

“Contact your friends. I don’t care. You will surely need their help.” Keith continued, trying not to grimace. “Your first clue is: Congratulations on the 57.3 seconds record.” He had no idea what that meant, but he was sure Lance would.

_ U R FOLOWD. _

Keith swallowed, throat dry. “The average person can survive for three days without water. How long do you think I will last?”

Lotor flipped the page again, this time only uncovering ‘(Last Words!)’. Keith’s finger stuttered to a stop. Lotor wiggled the sketchpad, looking at him expectantly. If Lance didn’t read the letters he was writing, he very well might die here. Keith’s throat felt thick. He didn’t want to cry. “Shiro, thank you for everything you have done for me. You’re the best brother I could have hoped for.” A tear slid down his cheek. He sniffed. “Lance, I don’t want you to blame yourself for this. I-” He broke himself off. He refused to tell Lance he loved him in a way like this. It would do more harm than good, and Lance deserved better. He flicked his eyes up, staring straight down the barrel of the camera. “You’re beautiful.” He said strongly, willing Lance to understand. 

_ CABLE CAR. _

Keith barely had time to realise Narti had walked to his side before her hand sunk into his hair, pulling his head back to crack against the concrete wall.

Falling from consciousness was becoming distressingly familiar.

* * *

When Keith next comes to, it’s to the sound of Lotor’s laugh. 

His captor was draped over the bench across from him again, attention fixated by the phone in his hand. Every so often, a chortle bubbled out of him, like he can’t hold his mirth. 

Keith’s head felt like it had been packed with steel wool. He was sure there was something to be said about concurrent concussions, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now.

He realised he had no idea how long it had been since he had something to drink. He was parched, his tongue feeling large and awkward in his mouth. He swallowed with a wince, trying to clear his throat.

Lotor looked up at the small noise. “Oh, good, you’re awake!” He grinned, sliding off the bench to approach Keith, holding the phone screen towards Keith’s face. “Our Lance found the second clue at the swimming pool, and he’s already chasing down the third. He’s so determined to save you, it’s really quite sweet.”

On the screen, Keith could see Lance’s figure, soaked to the bone and holding an object in his hands. The picture was taken too far away to be able to tell what it is but not so far that Keith can’t recognise that slump to Lance’s shoulders. It’s the same one Lance had been wearing when Keith caught him checking the locks on the doors and windows in the middle of the night. 

Keith wondered if Lance had been able to read his message. He told himself not to hope, because he didn’t want to feel disappointment if Lance didn’t. Keith refused to even come close to being disappointed in Lance. 

Lotor’s phone chimed. “Oh look, his friends are trying to get him to eat something.” He cooed. Keith’s skin prickled, wishing he could get this man to shut up. “I wonder if they’ll use the ‘Keith wouldn’t want you to do-’”

“Is there any Galra left for you to inherit?” Keith spat out, trying to draw the conversation away. “I heard it was dismantled from the top down.”

Lotor’s movements stalled for half a second, and Keith saw the corner of his lips twist in displeasure. The slightly amused mask was back on so fast that Keith could have missed the slip easily. “The force is filled with idiots who think they’re geniuses.” He dismissed lightly. “The roots of the Galra run much deeper than they could ever hope to know.”

Keith was sure he had poked a bruise. “Then why have you spent months on a revenge plot against an undercover agent? What do you have to  _ prove?”  _ He knew it wasn’t a good idea to antagonise Lotor, but Keith let himself be angry. This man wanted to take his life and torture Lance for the rest of his. Keith was livid. “You said Zarkon didn’t like to talk about you. My bet is that none of his generals want to follow you, and this is your way of proving yourself.” 

There was no change in Lotor’s face, but his game had been shaken, Keith knew. “Dear Keith, you should really leave the thinking to those better equipped for it.” He laughed again, but Keith had heard Lotor laugh enough times to know that this time it was strained.

The sun was rising. Keith tried to work out how many hours he had been taken for. Somewhere between fifteen and twenty hours. He would kill for a glass of water. “The Galra won’t follow you, will they? They don’t believe you’re up to it.”

“People who are about to die say all kinds of things.” Lotor retorted, stalking towards Keith. “And make no mistake, Keith. You’re a dead man breathing.” He leaned over Keith, sneering down at him.

His sneer came too close. Keith heaved his pounding head and snapped it right into Lotor’s slim nose.

Lotor stumbled away from him, a hand coming up to his nose. Blood was already spewing out, Keith noted with satisfaction. For a second, Lotor just stood there, eyes wide. It was the best second of the entire time Keith had been there.

What followed, unsurprisingly, was a barrage of blows. Lotor kicked the breath from his lungs, and when Keith doubled over to suck air back into his lungs, a knee was waiting to smash into his face. After that, his consciousness drifted a little further, hearing taken over by a constant ringing. He was aware of the hits to his body, and the pain, but he felt like a spectator in his own body.

After some time, Lotor left. Someone else entered, but Keith couldn’t be bothered to move his head to see who it was. Instead, he watched the sky grow lighter through the gaps in the boarded-over windows. 

He felt himself return to his body, the full force of the pain coming with it. Time passed. His watcher, who he later determined to be Zethrid, said nothing, and neither did Keith. 

He had a lot of time to stew over his thoughts and swallow around his dry throat. He made a list of his regrets. 

Or, he tried to. But he was content in the decisions he had made, and proud of the gym he had with Shiro. He had great friends and he had made his own family.

The only thing he wished he could change would be to tell Lance that he loved him. It hurt to think that he might not get the chance, now. 

He hoped that Lance knew. 

Hours slipped away, Keith only able to watch as the light grew brighter, and then dimmer again. His stomach didn’t rumble anymore. At one moment, he caught himself catching a bead of sweat with his tongue as it rolled down his face. 

He wondered what Shiro would do, if he was here.  _ Patience yields focus.  _ Keith had no doubt his brother would know what to do. Shiro had always been the cool-headed one, the one who never gave up. Keith had faith that his brother wouldn’t give up after this. 

He wondered what Shiro would tell their mom. He shook his head, the motion making him queasy, his head pounding. He didn’t want to think about it.

There was barely any light left when Lotor burst in again. He was wearing a new suit, and Keith smugly noted new bruises forming under his eyes. Keith really hoped he had broken his nose. 

Lotor stalked straight to him, showing Keith another picture on his phone.

“Look, he’s crying!” He crowed. 

Lotor was right. There, on the screen, Keith could clearly see Lance’s hunched over figure, unmistakably crying. Keith’s heart ached. He didn’t want this to be the last he saw of Lance.

Lance probably hadn’t been able to read Keith’s message, and he told himself that it was okay. They had both tried their best, and if Keith died, then it was Lotor’s fault.

Lotor was still talking, but Keith couldn’t muster the energy to listen. He thought he saw the faint light flicker, like something had passed in front of the slats, blocking the light. He was probably just seeing things.

Lotor was still talking, moving with grace around the room, unable to remain in one place for too long. “-my father hears about this, he’ll know that he didn’t completely ruin the Galra-” 

There’s a thump, from the other side of the door Or, at least Keith is pretty sure he heard a thump. Lotor didn’t seem to have heard anything, but he was busy enjoying the sound of his own voice. 

“I will have the most expansive empire in the history of the US, it’s a shame you won’t be around to see it, Keith.” He continued, “You make much better conversation when you say nothing at all, you know. Does Lance prefer you-”

The door slammed open, the crash it made and it slammed against the wall resonating in Keith’s skull. In a second, the room was swarmed with men dressed in black. They all had guns. Every single one was pointing at Lotor.

Keith watched detachedly as the man fell to his knees. Lotor’s face was blank, like he couldn’t figure which face to put on. He said nothing. 

One of the men crouched in front of him, removing the ropes that had kept him tied down carefully. Keith knew this man’s face. He was sure of it. He had shaken his hand. Antok.

“Keith is secure. Lance, you have a green light. I repeat, green light.”

It took Keith a second to categorize what he was feeling. 

Relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be the last.  
This chapter was a knot of characterisation issues, particularly with Lotor, because I don't write him often and it has been a long time since I've watched the show... I still had fun, though.   
What do you think Keith's gift to Lance is?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You shouldn’t want me around you, Keith.” Lance said, sounding strained. He started to pull away.  
With no time to think of a better plan, Keith did his best impression of a sack of potatoes, going limp in Lance’s grip so he was forced to choose between letting Keith fall to the floor or holding him upright. Lance’s hold on him tightened immediately, bringing Keith up to lean against his chest. “I think I get to make my own decisions about what I want.” Keith told him, as evenly as he could manage. “And I’ve wanted to see you since I woke up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this chapter meant to be out a long time ago? Yes.  
Stuff happened, life moved very fast, and I had to take some more time than I thought. But I'm sure this final chapter is better now than it would have been if I tried to rush it to get it out in time.
> 
> Have a great read, lovelies!

Keith woke slowly.

First, he was aware of a steady beeping. Then, the rasp of blanched sheets against his skin, the pressure of another hand in his. He pried his eyes open, and was immediately assaulted by a barrage of light that had him shutting them again quickly. He tried again, slower this time, light filtering through his eyelashes, eyes adjusting.

He was met with a white ceiling and four white walls, cluttered with machines and displays. The only burst of colour was a plastic vase of fake sunflowers sitting alone on a table. There was a window, but he could only see the sky from this angle. He was in the hospital.

He looked down at the hand holding his, following the arm up to see Shiro, slumped half onto the hospital bed from his position in a pale blue chair. He was sleeping, snoring lightly into his own shoulder.

There were purple bruises crisscrossing over Keith’s arms. The left side of his vision was narrower than the other.

It all came flooding back to him. Being tied to the cold bench, train tracks leading upward where he couldn’t see, Lotor’s twisted face looming over him.  _ You’re going to help me make Lance’s present. _

He heard his heartbeat pick up. He struggled to sit up, his hand falling out of Shiro’s, breathing as deep as he could. He was safe. It was over. It was over. 

Shiro woke with a jolt, his hand finding Keith’s and holding him firmly, staring back at him. For a second, the two of them were frozen in time. Shiro let out a choked half gasp half laugh. “I’m so glad to see you awake.” He said, pulling Keith up the rest of the way gently, fussing with the bed and pillows so they supported him. “You’ve given me more grey hairs, I swear.”

“You like your grey hairs,” Keith mumbled reflexively, lifting a hand to grasp Shiro’s arm. “It’s good to see you too.” 

Shiro drew him into a careful hug, mindful of the bandages and wires littering Keith’s body. “How are you feeling? The list of injuries the doctors showed me was… long, but they said you were on good painkillers.” He asked as they pulled away.

Keith smiled at his brother’s concern. He ached all over, but he wasn’t going to tell Shiro that. “Can’t feel a thing.” He promised. “How long was I out?”

“Just under 12 hours,” Shiro told him. “You were gone for 30.”

Keith’s mouth twisted involuntarily. “I’m sorry.” 

Shiro shook his head at him. “There is nothing for you to apologize for. For those 30 hours, I was…” He trailed off, searching for the right words. “Beyond worried. I suddenly had to confront a world that might not have my little brother in it. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re okay.”

“I couldn’t let you take on the gym all by yourself, could I?” Keith tried to joke lightly. “I’m really happy to see you too.”

If the scent of antiseptic caused eyes to water, neither of them said anything about it. Shiro didn’t push him to talk about what happened, instead filling him about their mother’s promise to be on the next flight in while he pressed the call button. 

The doctor came by shortly thereafter, checking in on the state of bandages and marching Keith through his list of injuries and warning him to put aside plenty of time for recovery. “You had the early onsets of dehydration, so you’re on fluids and pain medication. All going well, you can expect to be discharged tomorrow.”

Keith smiled at the thought of going home. He had only been conscious for twenty minutes, but he was already hating being confined to a hospital bed. They thanked her, and she went on her way. 

There was an elephant with a cuban accent in the room, and they both knew it. Finally, Keith cleared his throat. “And Lance?” He asked tentatively. It wasn’t that he had expected Lance to be sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. He was sure that he was busy with the follow-up work after Lotor’s arrest. But he would’ve thought that Shiro would at least give him a call once Keith woke. 

Shiro winced visibly, although he tried to hide it. “Lance is still working.” He replied eventually, jaw working in a way that Keith knew he was searching for the right words. “You two should talk soon.”

Keith frowned. “That’s one way to put it.” 

Shiro shifted in his chair. “Keith, I was there when the video came through. They sent it to Lance’s personal number. It was horrible, Keith. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it. But Lance…” He sighed, rubbing at the joint of his prosthetic. “He was devastated, Keith. The only thing he could say was that it was all his fault. He wouldn’t stop apologizing to me, no matter how many times I tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault. We’ve got you back now, Keith, but- I don’t think he’s been able to forgive himself.”

Keith’s heart felt like it was made from stone, sinking right through his body, unable to beat. Yes, he and Lance needed to talk. The sooner the better.

* * *

Hunk and Pidge came by sometime later, giving Keith the opportunity to tell Shiro to go home, have a shower, and eat something. 

Once Shiro had left with a defeated grin, hands raised in surrender, the two detectives made themselves comfortable. “It’s really good to see you awake, man.” Hunk said, fishing a box from his made and placing it on the table that swung over Keith’s bed. “Hospital food sucks, so I made you some macaroni bake.” 

Keith grinned. “Thanks, man. How are things going?”

“The good definitely outweighs the bad,” Hunk replied honestly. “We’ve got you back, obviously. Lotor, Zethrid and Axca were all arrested, but-”

“Ezor and Narti escaped.” Keith finished, an involuntary shiver running down his spine. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he still wished they could seal the door to all of this.

Hunk and Pidge shared a tired look. “Yeah,” Pidge replied, fingers drumming against her knee. “It’s why we’ve placed a guard by the door. We were hoping you could give us some more information about the two of them, actually.”

Keith nodded, thinking back over his short interactions with them. “Ezor is pretty, and good at acting. She can say the right things to get what she wants. Narti is blind, and seemed to take care of their technology.” He rubbed at the abused skin surrounding his IV needle. “I don’t really know more than that, sorry if it’s not much help.”

Pidge was shaking her head before he could finish the sentence. “No, I’m serious when I say anything helps. You have our numbers if you remember something else, but don’t worry yourself about it.”

“The most important thing now is that you take care of yourself,” Hunk continued on. “Focus on healing and take it easy, yeah? There will be a trail eventually, but with the lawyer Lotor has pulled out it’s likely to take a lot of time to start.”

The thought of having to face those piercing eyes again turned Keith’s stomach over. “Okay,” He agreed. “And- can someone please tell me about Lance? I haven’t seen him yet.”

The two detectives shared an uncomfortable look. “Lance can’t let himself take a break from the case,” Pidge told him after a few moments. “He’s really glad you’re okay.”

“We’re trying to talk him into coming and seeing you, but-” Hunk broke off, searching for the right words in a way that was quickly becoming familiar to Keith. “He didn’t take your capture well. When you didn’t show up to the party, we thought something had happened to make you late. Lance gave Shiro a call and he told us that he had seen you leave over an hour before. Lance was convinced something was wrong, and he was right.”

Pidge nodded along. “He kept rewatching the video. I thought he was torturing himself, but he knew you were trying to get a message through to him. The angle of the camera made it a little awkward, but we figured it out. The cable car station had never actually been opened because the developer ran out of money before they could finish the track, so it was never officially registered. We think the develop owed Zarkon a lot of money.”

“We had to make a plan,” Hunk continued. “Thanks to you, we knew that Lotor was watching us. We had to go ahead like we didn’t know where you were and continue with the clues. Antok and his team had to strike the cable car base before we could arrest whoever was following us, to make sure that if Lotor was alerted he couldn’t hurt you. Lance was desperate to get you out of there, but we had to stick to the plan.”

“And after…” Pidge trailed off.

Hunk frowned. “Had it been any other situation, Allura would have taken Lance off the case immediately. He was too close, but we all were, really. Lotor’s game kept him at the center of it, and he’s suffered for it.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I love Lance to death but he does have a habit of deciding how things should be before talking to the people who matter the most.”

Pidge nodded along. “We’ll get him in here, even if we have to arrest him.” She promised. 

Keith smiled thinly. “Thanks, guys.”

Pidge dipped a hand into her bag, fiddling with something inside. “Your gift for Lance is locked up in evidence. It was- Lotor had put the final clue inside.” She broke off for a second, biting her lip. “I wasn’t sure if you would want it back, or if there are too many bad memories connected to it, but I went back to the jeweller to ask for another.” She drew out a padded leather jewellery box. The last one was black; this one was navy. The difference was strangely grounding for Keith. 

Pidge placed the box with care on the stiff bedsheets half a foot from his hand. “It’s there for you to decide. Take it if you want, or if you want me to throw it into the river I will.”

Keith stared at the box for a long time. It was possibly the best gift he had ever got for someone, he knew. But then Lotor had taken it and twisted it into something painful. The memory of that leer in his face and fingers twisting into his hair was etched into his mind. Lotor had wanted it to be a symbol of how Lance couldn’t save Keith. 

Why should Keith let Lotor get what he wanted? He had survived, they both had. The bracelet proved that. That’s the meaning Keith wanted to have. 

He stretched his hand out and took the box, offering a smile to Pidge. “Thanks,” He said simply, unable to articulate anything more.

The tension in the room breathed a sigh of relief, and the conversation was quickly swept away into comfortable territory: anecdotes from times the squad had been in hospital. 

However, even as Hunk recounted the awkward way Antok had been forced to lie on his stomach after a bullet wound to the ass, Keith’s attention was split. He was missing something, he was sure. He couldn’t pin down exactly what, but he was sure it had to do with why Lance still hadn’t come to see him. Shiro and now Pidge and Hunk had been too shifty about his whereabouts. What got to Keith the most is that he thought Lance would want to confirm that Keith was okay with his own eyes. Keith had texted him once that he had a fever and Lance had knocked on his door fifteen minutes afterwards. Keith knew the case was important, but it didn’t make sense that he couldn’t get away, especially if Hunk and Pidge were able to come.

Unless… Lance had already seen him alive and well, but Keith didn’t know about it. When he was asleep. He couldn’t believe that Lance would let him out of his sight with Ezor and Narti still free. It all clicked together, suddenly.

His eyes drifted to the door. He had a very good idea of who was on the other side.

“You guys and Shiro said that Lance was still working.” He interrupted. Hunk and Pidge looked at each other warily, nodding back at him. Keith pressed on. “And you said there was a guard at the door.”

He didn’t need to connect the two facts to immediately know it was true from their defeated expressions. “He made us all swear not to say anything.” Hunk burst out. “We didn’t want to keep it a secret, but he wouldn’t have forgiven us for meddling in this.”

Keith shook his head at the two of them. “It’s not your fault, I don’t hold it against you two.” He promised, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. “Thank you for coming to see me. You both look so tired, maybe you ought to drink some coffee. But everyone knows how bad it is at the hospital, so it’d be better to go to a cafe, don’t you think?”

Pidge seemed to catch on perfectly, standing and gathering her things. “We’ll take our time,” She told him. “Good luck.” 

Once the door closed behind them, Keith could hear the low murmur of voices, now that he was listening for it. After a few seconds, a pair of footsteps faded away. 

Keith closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He couldn’t be sure that what he was about to do wouldn’t make the situation worse, but he had to try.

He sat up fully with a groan he didn’t need to exaggerate, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I hope this needle in my arm isn’t doing anything important.” He called out, yanking out his IV with a wince. 

“What a lovely day,” He grunted, hauling himself to his unsteady feet, shuffling slowly towards the window. Every single one of his muscles screamed in protest, and he felt lightheaded, like he could keel over any moment. Yeah, he had seen better days. “It’s a great - _ fucking hell-  _ view.” He wheezed. He steadied himself on a table, effectively sending the plastic vase of fake flowers to the floor, which sent a grin to his face. He put a hand on the window latch, easing it open with a creak. “Ah, fresh air. I wonder what floor this is? The seventh? Sure looks like a long way-”

The door slammed open and half a second later a pair of arms wrapped around his chest, dragging him away from the window. “You’re an idiot,” Lance bit out from behind him. “You can’t joke around about that shit.”

It wasn’t the right moment, but Keith relished in the feeling of Lance’s arms around him anyway. “It got you to come in here, didn’t it?” He asked, unable to stop himself from threading his fingers through Lance’s stiff ones over his stomach. “Besides, the window only opens a few inches.”

“You shouldn’t want me around you, Keith.” Lance said, sounding strained. He started to pull away.

With no time to think of a better plan, Keith did his best impression of a sack of potatoes, going limp in Lance’s grip so he was forced to choose between letting Keith fall to the floor or holding him upright. Lance’s hold on him tightened immediately, bringing Keith up to lean against his chest. “I think I get to make my own decisions about what I want.” Keith told him, as evenly as he could manage. “And I’ve wanted to see you since I woke up.”

“Keith-” A breath stuttered out of Lance’s mouth. He dropped his forehead down to the nape of Keith’s neck. “It was all my fault.” 

It would’ve felt like a confession if Keith didn’t know how false it was. “No, Lance, it wasn’t. I don’t blame you now, and I never will, okay?”

Lance made a noise in the back of his throat like that, and pulled away. “Lotor would never have gone for you if it wasn’t for our relationship.” He stated, hauling Keith back to the bed. 

Despite Keith trying to make it harder for him at every turn, he managed to set Keith’s torso back on the bed. Keith knew that as soon as Lance saw him back into bed he would call a nurse for the IV and be back out the door. “So what’s your plan, Lance?” He asked hotly. “You’re going to break up with me and disappear off the face of the earth? Because of some crazy guy that’s already behind bars?”

“If it’ll keep you safe, I will!” Lance shot back, picking up Keith’s legs and placing them back on the bed. Even in his anger, he was careful of Keith’s injuries. “And Ezor and Narti are still out there, it’s not over.”

Keith pushed himself to sit up against the headboard. “I don’t care if it’s over or not, I want to be with you, and I won’t be afraid to say that.”

“You should be,” Lance said back, bone aching sadness dripping from his lips. “Can’t you see yourself? These bruises and broken bones are consequences of how I- how I feel about you.”

He turned to go. Keith caught his wrist, felt the way Lance’s tendons tensed in his grasp. “Lance, I want you to tell me this: did you ever, at any point, tell Lotor to hurt me?”

Lance scoffed, spinning back around to face him. “I might as well have-”

“That wasn’t the question.” Keith cut in gently. His heart was in his throat, a nervous electricity in his veins. He didn’t want to lose Lance now, like this. “Did you tell Lotor to hurt me?”

Seconds hung in the air before Lance relented. “No.”

Keith nodded. “Did you give him my address?

Keith could feel the slight tremor in Lance’s frame. “No.”

“Did you tell him when I’d be alone? The best way to manipulate me away from safety?”

“No, I didn’t.” Lance replied, breathing uneven. 

“You want to know what you did do?” Keith loosed his grasp, sliding his hand further up Lance’s arm. “You saved me. You did, Lance. You read my message and outsmarted Lotor.  _ That’s  _ what you did, and that’s what matters to me.”

Lance swayed on his feet, swallowing. “Keith-” He broke off, unable to get out more words. 

“Please, come here.” Keith pleaded, opening his arms and moving to the side as well as he could manage. “Come here.”

Finally, Lance let himself collapse, falling down at Keith’s side on the narrow hospital bed. He tucked his chin over Keith’s shoulder, burying his nose in Keith’s hair. “I was so worried about you.” he breathed. 

“I know,” Keith replied simply, lifting a hand to comb through Lance’s hair. “I was worried about you too. But we survived, Lance.”

“We survived. “ Lance agreed. “I’m sorry for not coming to see you earlier, it just seemed like the best thing to do was stay away.”

“I know,” Keith replied. “But for the record, I always want to be with you.”

Keith wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, clutching at each other to make sure the other wouldn’t disappear. His eyes landed on the black box Pidge had brought earlier. He reached for it slowly, feeling the resistance of the padded leather underneath his fingers. 

Lance looked up, eyes travelling down his arm to the ox in his hand, freezing. “Is that-”

Keith shook his head. “It’s not the original, Pidge arranged for a duplicate. I know that you’ve had the worst birthday ever, and Lotor tried to ruin my gift for you, but for me, it’s proof that we survived.” He opened the box with slightly shaking fingers, revealing the bracelet inside. “It’s yours, if you want it.”

By all accounts, the bracelet was actually rather plain. A single gold-plated band curved around, the two ends joined by a snap clasp. The only embellishment was their engraved initials on the inner side:  _ LM & KK.  _ Keith could have chosen something more elaborate, but in one look he had instinctively known that this was the right one.

Lance’s face remained blank for a few torturous seconds, but then a smile formed, small and hopeful. “Yeah, it’s really nice. Thank you, Keith.” Unspilt tears welled in his eyes as he placed a careful kiss onto Keith’s lips. “I want to leave the demons behind.”

Keith grinned back at him, lifting a hand to cup Lance’s cheek. “You know, when I was back there, there was only one thing I really regretted not doing, and that was telling you that I loved you.” He rubbed his thumb over the line of Lance’s cheekbone. “I love you, Lance.”

Lance’s smile was crafted from light and warmth itself. “I love you too,” He replied, lifting a hand to lance their fingers together, kissing the palm of Keith’s hand. 

He suddenly stilled, looking at the empty expanse of Keith’s forearm. “Shit, your IV!” He exclaimed, half jumping, half falling off the bed to hit the nurse call button.

Keith couldn’t help himself, bursting out in laughter even as his ribs creaked in protest. After a second, Lance joined him, the two unable to keep themselves together even when a stern elderly nurse came in to reattach the IV and give them both a lecture about not messing around with the hospital equipment. 

Lance managed to wait five whole seconds after she left before crawling back into the bed beside Keith. It was a tight fit, but they made it work, talking quietly between them, fingers tracing lines absentmindedly over skin.

Not too long after, Pidge and Hunk returned. “Oh thank God.” Pidge exclaimed at the sight of them. Hunk looked about ready to cry, he was so happy. Lance gave each of them an apology for how he had acted, and they let him off the hook immediately. “We’ll always be here for you, buddy.” Hunk said.

Shiro entered not much later, the look of relief on his face a mirror of Pidge and Hunk. “Just for the record, I do already have a best man speech prepared.” He joked lightly. Or at least Keith thought he was joking. 

They turned the tv on to some terrible daytime television and ate the macaroni bake which Shiro charmed one of the nurses into heating up for them. The air was filled with quips and laughter, and Lance’s comforting warmth was beside him as he fell asleep.

Nothing had felt more like home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end!
> 
> Fun fact: The moment that Lance realises that Keith doesn't have his IV in was the same moment that I, the author, realised. Our reaction was fairly similar.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter should be up in a week, and in the meantime please let me know what you thought about the chapter and any predictions for what will happen in the future!!


End file.
